Pipe bowl cleaner



E. l.. SNYDER 2,214,386

PIPE BowL CLEANER Sept. l0, 1940.

Filed Jan. 1l, 1939 A TTORNEYS.

Patented Sept. 10, 1940 UNITED STATES OFFICE 6 Claims.

`The invention relates to a device for cleaning the ashes and unburnedtobacco from the bowl of a pipe. Due to the fact that the tobacco at thebottom of a pipe bowl becomes quite strong and soggy, it is customaryfor pipe smokers to leave this portion of the pipe full of tobaccounsmoked. l

This leaves a somewhat firmly packed plug of unburned tobacco, and someashes in the bottom of the pipe bowl which must be removed before thepipe is relled for smoking.

Diiculty is often experienced in knocking this iirmly packed plug orheel of tobacco from the bowl of the pipe, and many pipe smokers strikethe pipe upon the heel of the shoe, a wall or other hard object toloosen this unburned tobacco and ashes, resulting in marring the upperedge of the pipe bowl and frequently causing the breaking of the pipestem or mouth piece.

The object of the invention is to provide a simple and inexpensivedevice for removing ashes and tobacco which packs in the lower portionof the bowl of a pipe, thus making it unnecessary to strike the pipe onany hard object in order to loosen the tobacco packed therein. y

A further object is to make a pipe bowl cleaner having only two parts,and which can be assembled without the use of screws, rivets or weldingand without a press operation after the parts are assembled. v

Another object is to form the holder or handle of the pipe bowl cleanerfrom a single piece of sheet metal formed so that a portion of the samewill provide a track or cam surface for holding the cleaning wire or rodin position within the holder when extended for use and when withdrawninto the holder.

A further object is to provide a pipe bowl cleaner which will be flatand of such a length so as to easily fit within a vest or coat pocket,and to provide rounded corners on the holder or handle so as not to tearthe pocket lining or injure the users hand.

A further object is to form the cleaning wire from a single piece-ofspring wire which will have a spring action for locking the cleaningwire within the holder as well as for holding it in open and closedposition in the holder, and to provide a looped end upon the wire whichwill extend beyond the side wall of the holder and .serve as a lmob foroperating the cleaning wire to open and closedpositions.

The above objects together with others which Will be apparent from thedrawing and following description, or which may be laterrreferred to,

(Ci. iwi-246) may be attainedby constructing the improved pipe bowlcleaner in the manner illustrated in the accompanying drawing in whichFigure l is a perspective view of the improved pipe bowl cleaner showingthe cleaning wire f 5 locked in the extended position ready for use;

Fig. 2, a perspective view of a pipe showing the manner in which theimproved bowl cleaner is used for removing packed tobacco and ashes fromthe bowl; 10

Fig. 3, a plan view of the sheet metal blank from which the holder` isformed, dotted lines indicating the center lines upon which the metal isbent when formed to shape;

Fig. 4, an end View of the blank shown in Fig. 15 3, showing the raisedportion of the metal which forms the guide for the forward end of thewire holder when formed to shape;

Fig. 5, an elevation of the holder formed to the final shape and readyfor assembly or for a plating finish if desired;

Fig. 6, an end elevation of the holder shown in Fig. 5;

Fig. '7, an elevation of the cleaning wire with the spring loop and knobformed thereon; N25

Fig. 8, a top plan view of the cleaning wire shown in Fig. 7

Fig. 9, an end elevation of the cleaning wire;

Fig. 1G, an elevation of the holder with the cleaning wire partlyassembled therein;

Fig. 1l, an elevation of the completed tool with the cleaning wirelocked in the closed or retracted position;

Fig. l2, a sectional elevation of a slightly modiiied form of the pipebowl cleaner showing the cleaning wire in closed or retracted position;

Fig. 13, a sectional elevation of another modication of the inventionwith the cleaning wire in closed or retracted position; and

Fig. 14, a transverse section taken as on the line lf3-'14, Fig. 1 3.

Similar numerals refer throughout the drawing.

Referring rst to Figs. 3 and 4, the sheet metal blank from which theholder or handle member oi the cleaner is formed is indicated generallyto similar parts at i5. This blank may be of any suitable kind of sheetmetal, and may, if desired, be plated or otherwise nished after it isformed to final shape. 50

The lower edge of this blank may include the spaced horizontal portionsi6 and Il at oppo- `site ends thereof, terminating at their outer endsin the rounded corners I8 and I9, respectively. The center straightportion 20 of the lower edge f55 may be also substantially parallel andis located below the portions i6 and l1 being connected thereto atopposite ends as by the rounded portion 2| and the inclined straightportion 22, respectively.

The upper edge of this blank has the straight horizontal portion 23 atone end and the second, comparatively, short horizontal portion 24 atthe other end.

The straight portion 23 terminates at its outer end in the roundedcorner 23', and its inner end has a smaller rounded corner 25 merginginto a substantially vertical edge 25 which in turn merges into asubstantially half-round notch 2l.

A slightly rounded edge 28 rises fromthe halfround notch 2'? and beyondthe same is the horizontal straight edge 29 located inwardly from thestraight edges 23 and 2.4 and terminating at its outer end in theinclined straight edge 3Q beyond which is the substantially half-roundnotch 3i and short vertical edge 32, the upper end of which is roundedas at 33 and merges into the short straight edge 2li the outer end ofwhich is provided with the rounded corner 3ft.

The end of the blank adjacent to the straight upper and lower edges 24and I6 may have a raised portion 35 formed therein for a purpose to belater described.

The blank as shown in Figs. 3 and 4 is adapted to be folded along thetwo parallel dotted lines 35 and 3l so that the upper and lower edgeportions of the blank are folded over upon the central portion 38thereof to form the finished holder as shown in Figs. 5 and 6.

'I'he short horizontal upper edge portion 24 is brought into substantialContact with the horizontal lower edge portion i6 while the remainder ofthe upper and lower edge portions are spaced slightly apart as bestshown in Fig. 5, providing a cam groove or track 39 for a purpose to belater explained.

The cleaning wire as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9 is formed from a singlelength of wire of suitable diameter and preferably having suiiicientspring quality to produce the desired result as hereinafter set forth.

The major portion of this Wire is straightv as indicated at (it, one endthereof being bent upward into a slightly divergent U-shaped loopl ilterminating `in the slightly downturned curved portion 52 which is thenbent outward at a right angle as at i3 terminating in a curved knob M.

When the holder is formed as shown in Figs. 5 and 6, and the cleaningwire, as shown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9, the two parts are ready to beassembled to form the finished article without requiring any pressoperation or other machine opera-1 tion.

The cleaning wire and holder may be assembled by hand, it only beingnecessary to insert the straight end i0 of the cleaning wire into therear or right hand end of the holder and compress the loop ilsufficiently to permit the outturned angular end 43 thereof to enter theright hand end of the slot 39 between the straight edges 23 and l1 asindicated in Fig. 10.

By then pushing the cleaning wire toward the left the outturned angularportion 43 thereof will spring up into the notch 21 as shown in Fig. 1l,the vertical edge 2@ contacting the angular portion i3 of the cleaningwire and preventing the same from being pulled backward or toward theright.

To extend the cleaning wire 4i] to the position shown in Figs. l and 2for the purpose of using the same to loosen the tobacco and ashes in thepipe bowl, the knob lill is pushed forward or to the left by means ofthe thumb causing the outturned angular portion 43 of the wire to ridedown under the curved edge 28 and forward or to the left through the camgroove 3S until it springs up into the notch 3l and contacts thevertical edge 32, thus locking the cleaning wire in the extendedposition.

It will be seen that the raised portion 35 of the rear or centralportion of the holder substantially contacts with the upturned loweredge portion thereof, as best shown in Figs. 1 and 6, providing atubular guide l5 for the forward end of the cleaning wire.

This reduced guide portion of the holder also acts as a scraper for thecleaning wire when the same is Withdrawn into the holder, removing anyparticles of ashes or tobacco which may have adhered thereto.

In Fig. 12 is shown a slightly modified form-of the invention in whichthe cam groove 39a. of the holder is of slightly different shape thanthat above described and in which the cleaning wire lilla has a loopfil-Ia of sufiicient width to frictionally engage the upper folded edgeof the holder.

rIhis cleaning wire is otherwise the same as above described, the turnedout angular portion 43a extending through the slot 39a and beingprovided with a knob Ma.

In this form of the invention the cleaning wire is held in eitherextended or retracted position only by friction of the loop d la againstthe upper folded edge of the holder, the straight vertical walls 26a and32a acting as stops to limit the movement of the cleaning wire in eitherdirection.

In the modification shown in Figs. 13 and 14 the spring loop lib of thecleaning wire 4Gb is bent rather sharply as at 12b to frictionallyengage the underside of a pressed in track or cam surface 46 formed inthe central portion of the holder and provided with depending humps lland d8 near opposite ends thereof over which the portion 52h of thespring loop rides when moving to retracted or extended position.

The cam slot 39h in the holder is provided with movement of the cleaningwire in each direction when the same is` operated in the manner abovedescribed by means of the knob Mb.

I claim:

1. A pipe bowl cleaner including a hollow, elongated holder having alongitudinal slot therein, a cam track in the holder, a cleaning wireslidably located in said holder and having a spring loop at one endadapted to co-operate with said cam track, and an angular knob upon saidloop slidably located through said slot.

2. A pipe bowl cleaner including a hollow, elongated holder having astepped longitudinal slot therein having a low side open at one end anda high side closed at the other end, a cleaning wire slidably located insaid holder and having a spring loop at one end, and an angular knobupon said loop slidably located through the high side of stepped slot.

3. A pipe bowl cleaner including a hollow, elongated holder having alongitudinal slot therein, a cam track in said slot, a cleaning Wireslidably located in said holder and having a spring loop at one end, andan angular knob upon said loop slidably located through said slot.

kus

4. A pipe bowl cleaner including a hollow, elongated holder having alongitudinal slot therein, each end of the slot being angularly disposedin one direction and terminating in a notch disposed in the oppositedirection and having a straight outer edge, a cleaning Wire slidablylocated in said holder and having a spring loop at one end and anangular knob upon said loop slidably located through said slot.

5. A pipe bowl cleaner including a hollowl holder formed from a singlesheet of metal having two opposite edge portions folded toward eachother and so shaped that they form a cam slot, a cleaning Wire slidablylocated in said holder and having a spring loop at one end and anangular knob upon said loop slidably located through said slot.

6. A pipe bowl cleaner including a hollow elongated handle formed from asingle sheet of material having its side edges shaped to provide a theclosed Vend of the slot and the offset portion thereof limiting themovement of said angularA knob in each direction. I

' EUGENE L. SNYDER.

